Pakhoi, Nov. 20.
There have been a number of changes in the Customs staff recantly. Mr. H. Logan Russell, acting Commissioner, has been succeeded by Mr. H. J. Sharples. Messrs. Cooper, Powell and Hill have also arrived within the past few weeks to replace those who have left or teen transferred.
Trade was more or less at a standstill for some time during the summer, but there has been considerable activity more recently. For one thing, life in the interior is quieter than it has been, and this reacts immediately on trade conditions. For another thing, our gain is due to loss on the West Ri trade. The various factions Kuangsi have Jargely held up traffic on the West River, and the trade route has followed its old course in coming via Pakhoi. When the West River motor traffic was started some 15 or 20 years 4 ago, the Nanning trade was diverted from the land route via Pakhoi to the river route vid Wuchow. What this port requires to increase its prosperity is railway communication with Nanning and other places on the West River. Even if we do not get the railway, good roads would be a boon. Recently, an enter: prising individual started repairing the road between the West River and Lingshan. His efforts were rewarded for a tinf® by the support given him by those using the road. Then someone discovered that the fung-shui was being disturbed, and the road-mender had to stop work—much to his disgust, and also of those who found travelling on a well made road so much pleasanter than a narrow, uneven path.
A week or two ago several bandits wera shot. Some of the men were led by a woman who had taken command of them after their leader (the woman's husband) was killed in the fighting in Kuangsi earlier in the year. The woman was also captured, and a number of people interested themselves to try and secure her release. However, her execution took place a few days ago. Reprisals are threatened by the remainder of the band who are still at large. Their {chief objective will be the town where the woman was arrested The people of this town secured: the woman's arrest because they had been attacked some time before by her husband when he was in command of the band. Ang go one reprisal follows another.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.